Five "off-road" smartphones with protection from all sorts of adversities

A secure mobile device for little money, and not even a push-button dialer, but a full-fledged smartphone - this is a reality that Blackview, a company from China, helped to bring to life.

The BV4000 model is dressed in characteristic “protective armor” with beveled corners for more efficient distribution of impact force when a mobile device falls. In the presentation video , the smartphone was thrown at the wall, played football with it, and then completely crushed with a total weight of more than 100 kg. The device passed all these strength tests with a bang, without getting a single crack on the 4.7-inch screen and retaining its performance. Similar tricks with a “mobile phone” were also done by many technology reviewers and during the tests the phone survived even after being hit by a car.

Against the background of worthy shockproof properties and protection of the gadget from dust and moisture according to the IP68 standard, the hardware platform turned out to be the weak point of the Blackview BV4000. The “iron” bundle of the simpleton MediaTek MT6580 chip and 1 GB of RAM can provide acceptable interface responsiveness only when performing everyday tasks(browsing, watching videos, social networking, etc.), while in games it immediately makes itself felt lack of performance. Also, the “strong man” got some permanent memory (only 8 GB), since the lack of free space is compensated by the ability to install a microSD standard drive in a dedicated slot.

According to the latest fashion in modern smartphone construction, the Blackview BV4000 has acquired a dual main camera module (8 MP). However, one should not expect a miracle from shooting in portrait mode - the quality of the pictures is acceptable in good light. The front camera on the armament of the smartphone has a resolution of 2 MP and is suitable, to a greater extent, for organizing video calls. But with the autonomy of the model, everything is at the highest level - a capacious 3680 mAh battery paired with a non-wasteful "stuffing" provides 8-9 hours of screen activity, which transforms into 1.5-2 full days of device operation on a single charge. The smartphone will be of interest to anyone who is looking for a reliable and unpretentious "workhorse" in operation.

The brainchild of the Chinese brand Homtom with the name of the HT20 Pro model is an inexpensive “SUV” with a harsh masculine character and a decent electronic “stuffing”, as for a class of all-protected mobile devices.

At the heart of the device is not the freshest, but more than once “run-in” on board many smartphones, the 8-core MediaTek MT6753 chip. 3 GB of “RAM” are called upon to give it more strength for the confident tossing and turning of modern applications. To store user data, the device has 32 GB of permanent memory. If this volume seems not enough, it seems possible to expand the capacity of the standard storage by retrofitting the Homtom HT20 Pro with a microSD flash drive (inserted into a separate slot, regardless of two SIM cards). It is noteworthy that a fingerprint sensor protects personal information from unauthorized access - an addition unusual for the kind of smartphones "in armor".

The body of the gadget is not afraid of dust, dirt, half-hour dives under water and falls from a height of 1.2 meters. You can get to its “insides” after unscrewing a dozen tiny screws that provide a snug fit for a lid stylized as carbon fiber. In addition, the front panel of the smartphone is covered with shock-resistant Gorilla Glass, which protects the 4.7-inch screen of the device from damage. The display displays a picture in a typical HD resolution (1280x720 pixels), and taking into account the small diagonal, individual pixels are absolutely not visible on it.

In many reviews of the model, there are complaints about the insufficiently good audibility of speech in telephone conversations from the interlocutor. The problem arises because of the protective membrane that protects the microphone from moisture. The solution to the issue is achieved by increasing the sensitivity of the microphone in the engineering menu. Finally, it is worth mentioning decent cameras in the equipment of the “SUV”: 16 MP main photo module and 8 MP front camera. With serious solutions for mobile photography, of course, they will not be able to compete on equal terms, but in their segment the cameras turned out to be quite competitive. As a result, Homtom HT20 Pro can be safely called an optimally balanced rugged smartphone both in terms of functionality and price.

"Seven thousand" with the prefix Pro from the Blackview brand is a strong smartphone in all respects with a bet on indestructibility. The device is powered by a strong metal case with elements of rubberized plastic along with Gorilla Glass 3 glass, “under cover” of which is the display.

The Blackview BV7000 Pro case is protected from dust and water according to the IP68 standard. Each screw in the device is equipped with a seal, and all connectors are covered with rubber plugs. The latter include a 3.5mm audio jack, a combo SIM+SIM/microSD slot, and a newfangled USB Type-C port that supports reversible plug connection. All of them are deeply recessed into the case, so the "native" accessories from the package (headphones and charging cable) will have to be treated with care.

The front panel of the device is given over to a 5-inch FullHD display framed by rather big frames. You should not be upset about their size, since this approach can be seen in appearance in most representatives of the family of secure phones. The colors on the screen turned out to be coldish, and in the display settings there is no function to change the color temperature. But you can enable adaptive brightness control.

The smartphone is running practical "naked" Android sixth version. The heart of the device is a solid low-cost processor MediaTek MT6750, which got as much as 4 GB of RAM. In the framework of synthetic tests, the hardware shows mediocre performance, but in everyday life it does not fail. The lack of resources manifests itself only in "heavy" games, where even an increased amount of RAM does not save (it is more intended for quickly switching between running applications). There is also a lot of space in the built-in storage of the smartphone - 64 GB.

Information about the protection of the gadget from dust and water according to the IP68 standard is engraved on a metal insert located on the rear panel. It is framed by a smart fingerprint scanner and a 13 MP main camera. Not far behind the rear photomodule is the 8 MP front camera, on which you can snap high-quality selfies. In addition, the Blackview BV7000 boasts a capacious 3500 mAh battery and OTG support, thanks to which the gadget is able to share the accumulated energy reserves with third-party devices.

A smartphone from the world-famous manufacturer of "adult" special equipment CATerpillar is able to survive falls from a height of 1.8 meters, is not afraid of vibrations, diving under water and operates in a wide temperature range (from -30°С to +55°С).

If we start talking about specific designations of CATerpillar S31 security, then the device is assigned an IP68 protection class, and it is also made in accordance with the requirements of the American military standard MIL-STD-810G. The tenacious grip of the smartphone in the hand is facilitated by rubberized body elements with protruding transverse stripes. And mechanical controls help to cope with a mobile gadget with dirty hands or gloves, incl. subscreen navigation keys. A separate customizable yellow button is placed on the right side of the device - by default, the flashlight function is assigned to it.

Performance is not the strongest side of the “armored car”: the simplest Snapdragon 210 chip in conjunction with 2 GB of RAM copes well with undemanding everyday tasks, but is completely unsuitable for turning “heavy” applications and running resource-intensive games. For those who need a more nimble secure device, the manufacturer's lineup includes a CATerpillar S41 smartphone running on a MediaTek Helio P20 chip in tandem with 3 GB of RAM. Both modifications of "SUVs" are running Android 7.0.

The cameras that the smartphone has at its disposal are represented by an 8 MP main photo module and a 2 MP front camera. They do not grab stars from the sky, and the overall result of their work can be described as very mediocre. CATerpillar S31 deserves praise for supporting 3G and 4G networks, as well as for long autonomy - taking into account the non-gaming platform, the energy reserves in the 4000 mAh battery are enough for 2-3 full days of gadget operation. The overpriced price tag slightly spoils the overall positive impression of the smartphone, but the ability to work where others cannot completely eliminates this drawback.

The second generation Z did not manage to get the now fashionable widescreen framed by narrow frames. However, this smartphone does not need minimal frames, otherwise it would lose its main “chip” - compatibility with replaceable Moto Mods modules, which significantly “pump” the functionality of the model.

External modules are attached to the back of the thinnest Moto Z2 Force case, where there is a contact pad for pairing them with a smartphone. The role of the simplest of the additional devices is assigned to the removable Turbo Power Pack battery, which adds another 3000 mAh to the regular 2730 mAh battery capacity. You can also buy a cover with a panoramic camera Moto 360, a portable projector Insta Share Projector, a JBL Soundboost 2 speaker, a camera with a Hasselblad True Zoom lens or a game module with gamepad sticks to pair with a smartphone.

The hardware platform of the mobile gadget is built on the basis of a powerful Snapdragon 835 chip and 4/6 GB of RAM - one of the most productive ligaments of our time. Things are no less good with the screen, which is used as a high-resolution SuperAMOLED matrix(2560x1440 pixels). Moreover, the display of the model is unbreakable, although the Moto Z2 Force was deprived of protection from other factors.

The flagship smartphone is due to an advanced camera. Indeed, the dual 12 + 12 MP main photo module produces photo and video shooting at the highest level, allowing you to get a high-quality result in almost any conditions. One of the lenses captures information in color, while the second "eye" of the rear camera looks at the world in black and white (it boasts a wider dynamic range). Of course, the smartphone also did not do without a two-way USB Type-C port, support for fast battery charging technology (up to 70% in just half an hour at the outlet) and a full range of communication modules put into service (including an NFC chip). And the icing on the cake is the “clean” Android OS, under which the device functions.